The Camellia Sinensis Plant: The Source of Every True Tea
Last updated: August 2026
Camellia sinensis is the one plant behind every true tea. Green, white, oolong, and black tea all come from the same evergreen shrub, and the big differences between them come entirely from how the leaf is processed after picking. Grown at high altitude in Nepal's Ilam and Taplejung districts, this plant gives naturally sweet leaves with little bitterness.
I've met many people who mix up tisanes and teas, and most of them want to know where all these teas actually come from. Let me spill the tea (pun intended). If you'd like to taste the whole range from one plant, the Tea Sampler Kit ($30 CAD) has 10 teas, green, white, oolong, and black, from 4 farms in Ilam and Taplejung at 5,000 to 7,000 ft, all naturally free of bitterness.
Camellia Sinensis: The Plant Behind All Tea
This surprises most people: all true teas come from the same plant. A delicate white tea, a robust black tea, and a grassy green tea all start as leaves from one species, Camellia sinensis.
This evergreen shrub is native to East Asia but is now grown around the world, on misty mountain slopes and in lush tea gardens. Left unpruned, it can grow up to 50 feet tall. In tea gardens it's kept at a convenient picking height, usually around 3 to 4 feet, so the young shoots are easy to harvest.
Different Teas, Same Plant: How Does That Work?
If all teas come from one plant, why do they taste so different? It comes down to processing, and to the variety of the plant:
- Green tea: the leaves are heated soon after picking to stop oxidation, keeping fresh, grassy, or floral notes.
- Black tea: the leaves are fully oxidized, giving a bold taste, dark colour, and more caffeine.
- Oolong tea: partly oxidized, between green and black in flavour and colour.
- White tea: made from young buds and first leaves that are only withered and dried, so it's minimally processed, with a delicate, floral flavour.
- Pu-erh tea: goes through a special microbial ageing and fermentation, which gives a deep, earthy flavour.
The two main botanical varieties are Camellia sinensis var. sinensis (the Chinese variety, usually used for green and white teas, with smaller, more delicate leaves) and Camellia sinensis var. assamica (the Assam variety, used for many black teas, with larger leaves and a bolder character). Nepal's tea plants are mostly sinensis or hybrids suited to the high-altitude Himalayan conditions of Ilam and Taplejung at 5,000 to 7,000 ft.
What About Herbal Teas?
This is where it gets confusing. Fruity, floral, or spicy "teas" like chamomile, peppermint, and rooibos aren't technically teas. They're called tisanes or herbal infusions. They don't come from Camellia sinensis and have no caffeine (unless they're blended with true tea).
A Plant with a Long History
The history of Camellia sinensis goes back thousands of years. The most widely told origin story places tea in China as early as 2737 BCE. Whether that legend is history or myth, tea growing and trading shaped civilisations across Asia and eventually the whole world.
Today the plant is grown in Nepal, China, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Kenya, and dozens of other countries. In Nepal's Ilam and Taplejung regions, the high altitude (5,000 to 7,000 ft) gives the tea a distinct character: slower growth concentrates amino acids and aromas, so the teas are naturally sweet and smooth, without the bitterness common on lower plantations.
Next time you make a cup, consider that this one plant, handled differently by different people in different climates and at different heights, produces the whole world of tea.
Taste the Full Range: Four Types of Tea from One Plant
The Tea Sampler Kit ($30) has 10 teas from 4 farms in Ilam and Taplejung: green, white, oolong, and black, all from the same Camellia sinensis plant, processed differently.
Explore by type: Floral Green · Floral White · Floral Oolong · Muscatel Black
Sources:
Washington State University: Tea
NC State Extension: Camellia sinensis
Gardenia.net: Camellia sinensis
Written by:
Bhaskar Dahal
2nd Generation Tea Entrepreneur
Founder and CEO, Nepal Hills Tea Inc.
Frequently Asked Questions: The Tea Plant
What is Camellia sinensis?
Camellia sinensis is the scientific name for the tea plant, an evergreen shrub native to East Asia. It's the source of all traditional teas, including green, black, white, oolong, and pu-erh. The teas differ because of how the harvested leaves are processed, not because they come from different plants.
How does the tea plant affect tea flavour?
Flavour depends on the variety of Camellia sinensis, the local climate where it grows, and the processing. Altitude, temperature, soil, and which part of the plant is picked (bud, first leaf, or older leaves) all matter. Plants grown at 5,000 to 7,000 ft in Nepal's Ilam and Taplejung regions give especially complex, sweet, smooth teas.
What are the main varieties of Camellia sinensis used for tea?
The two main ones are Camellia sinensis var. sinensis (the Chinese variety), which gives delicate, nuanced teas and is usually used for green and white tea, and Camellia sinensis var. assamica (the Assam variety), which gives more robust, malty teas used in many black tea blends. Nepal's teas come mostly from sinensis-type plants and local hybrids suited to high altitude.
Where is Camellia sinensis grown?
It's grown in China, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Japan, Kenya, and many other countries, and each region's conditions give its tea a different character. Tea professionals increasingly rank Nepal's high-altitude teas from Ilam and Taplejung among the finest in Asia.
What is the difference between tea and herbal tea?
True tea comes only from Camellia sinensis. Herbal teas, also called tisanes, are infusions of herbs, flowers, spices, or other plants. They aren't related to the tea plant and have no caffeine. Popular tisanes include chamomile, peppermint, and rooibos.
